Conference napalm::guitar

    Well, having heard the tape, I guess that make me a candidate for the
    first review!!  ];^>
    
    SIDE 1
    
    Justine Sullivan - The tape kicks off with a beautiful acoustic ballad
    by Justine, with some great finger picking and vocal harmonies.  It
    really sets a nice mood for what's to come!!  I have seen Justine play
    live, but always accomp. others...this was my first time hearing her on
    her own, and I must say I was really blown away.  There was a 3rd song
    on Justine's tape called Remember, which I was unable to include on
    this tape due to space limitations, but I really hope it makes it to
    Volume V...it's also a killer folk ballad!
    
    John Derrico - Another strong composition!!  This starts out sounding
    Fripp-ish, then in the B section where the fretless bass comes in, it
    turns a tad Floyd-ish.  I love this tune...great playing, really nice
    harmonic implications, and well applied electronic effects make for a
    great mood piece.  
    
    Joe Minville - Joe kicks in with an original tune, performed by his
    post 60s surf-punk band, Instant Now.  This tune reminds me somewhat
    of a cross between Husker Du (vocally) and the Pretenders (guitar-wise).
    Joe's chorused Tele thru a Marshall half-stack really gives a full sound.
    This tune is up-beat and bouncy, and I liked it a lot (esp. Joe's
    drone-string guitar solo [ala the late James Honeyman-Scott?]).
    
    John Reaume - B()()M!!!  So, this is what he sounds like.  This cover
    tune is from his Chemistry days.  God knows what he was exactly using
    at the time, but it was a Kitty Hawk something-or-other.  Boom's guitar
    has a meaty sound to it, but it's mixed a little too far in the back
    (with the keyboard a little too loud throughout).  Boom, what's that
    weird noise in the middle of the song on the keyboards?!?  8^)  I like
    the fast blues licks.
    
    Bill Buckley -- Me!  This is a very old tune...sorry, I don't have
    anything current!  Anywho, I like this song...I think it's well
    written, with some neat textures and layers.  Lots of guitar parts, so
    listen closely!  It was the start of my heavy C&W influence...I was
    even playing a strat and a lap steel!!  (wonders never cease)
    
    Dave Bottom -- ROCKIN!  This little ditty in D major really takes hold
    after my haunting song above (which is also in D major, fwiw).  The
    guitar sounds like a Tele through some sort of midly distorting tube
    amp (a Music Man??).  I would have liked a heavier sound, but the band
    rocks, and the guitar solo is mint.  Nuff said, DB_II knows how to rip
    it up.
    
    Justine Sullivan -- A light-hearted acoustic blues number.  I didn't
    like this one as much as Remember, but it was slightly shorter, which 
    I why I chose it for inclusion (sorry, bogus excuse!).  But, it stands
    on it's own as a song, don't get me wrong.  Lyrically, it reminds me of
    Dave Blickstein's Low Calorie Blues  8^)  Nice guitar and vocal work
    (once again) by Justine.
    
    Cheryle West -- Cheryle rocks out on this cover tune by Scandal.  The
    vocals were far too effected for my tastes, and everything seems way in
    the background.  BUT, the band sounds pretty tight, and it has a good
    rock feel to it...straight ahead and driving.  Cheryle rips some good
    licks in A major.

    Jim Cheney -- Jim, do you like Neil Young??  8^)  The vocal
    similarities are *scary*!  However,  both songs by Jim on this tape are
    excellent.  Again, they are acoustic-based numbers which set up a nice
    mood.  I really enjoyed both pieces.
    
    Jon Nelson -- Mandolin Tune ... neat title, but the mix sounded pretty
    hissy to me, which, for me, distracted from the instrumentation a bit.
    
    John Reaume -- Here's Boom again, this time with Glyfix, on yet another
    rock cover tune (don't ask me by who?!  ...AXE??  a guess!).  The
    guitar seemed a little more out front on this tune than the last,
    however, I liked the lead playing on the 1st tune better.  Oh yeah, KH
    amps (you were wondering??) are std fare again and sound pretty good.
    
    Bob Schuchard -- Again, another airy, mood tune.  I like mood tunes, so
    I liked this number.  Other people will have to make up their own
    minds.  In fact, I liked this the best out of the 3 songs submitted by
    Bob (his 2nd appears on side 2).
    
    Tom Desrocher and Bob Conroy -- Bob and Tom got together to jam and
    recorded it.  The results are what you hear.  It basically starts out
    with Tom and Bob trading 1's, but soon turns into more of a Skynyrd-ish
    dual lead guitar thing.  Hot licks abound here kiddies, so dust out the
    woodshed and start your tapedeck!!  (you'd expect any less from Bob or
    Tom...both monters in their own right!)
    
    
    SIDE 2
    
    Tom Benson -- Good ole Tom.  You know, I didn't really like his last
    tunes (Boingers, etc.), but I *love* this song.  It's relatively short,
    but gets the point across quickly.  I won't ruin the surprise, but the
    song builds wonderfully, and the harmony guitar parts are a treat.  The
    song as a whole is very cute.
    
    Mikey Heiser -- DAMN!  Mike has been in the woodshed, folks, and the
    two songs by Mike (side by side, for maximum kill) are SHREDDING! Mike
    now joins the CVG:: Hall of Fame with other Monster players...Bob
    Conroy, Dave Bottom, Tom Desrochers, Danny Weber, etc.  If you're not
    pointing at your speakers in horror by the end of the 2nd tune, you're
    on another planet.  Kudos Mike, the KH M1 sounds great, and the chops
    are killer!!
    
    Bill Buckley -- just me again.  More of what you head on side one ...
    country rock stuff.  Again, I played a strat...it's a neat little ditty
    in G major...what more can I say?!
    
    Dave Bottom -- Dave follows up my country tune with a countryish tune
    of his own.  Slide guitar for days here folks, although the modulation
    on the chorus was too wide for me.  Nice tune, good performances,
    typical DB_II (was this with LA East?).
                                           
    Tom Desrochers & Bob Conroy  -- They're at it again.  This time in a
    bluesy shuffle feel.  Same trading solos deal...same plethora of hot
    licks.  Hope you guys record some more together!
    
    Tom Gallo -- A very well written and recorded tune.  The performances
    to tape were all good, and the mix is good.  I think the form of the
    song is a tad too long though...maybe a modulation would have worked
    well, or a bridge section, or something.  Just personal quirps...
    
    Greg House -- This is a different Greg from the one I saw play live in
    CO two years ago!!  I suspect it's from his more recent listening
    tastes of Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Husker Du, etc.  I liked the
    rhythm guitar work on this song a lot.  The vocals seem very much
    influenced by the Talking Heads?!  Not exactly my genre, but a good
    tune nonetheless.  The guitar voicings and tone were stand-outs for me.
    
    Jim Cheney -- Another tune by Jim.  I sort of reviwed this in my Side 1
    review.  They're somewhat similar tunes stylistically, and I'm not
    sure which one I like better...I think Country Girl.  The lyrics are
    somewhat amusing, for sure!!  
    
    Todd Brown -- I like this song.  I can't put my finger on the
    style...the synths make me think it sounds familiar, but I can not put
    my finger on it.  I liked the harmonic minor guitar solo thing with the
    keyboards.  All in all, I would have liked to have heard more guitar in
    the mix and less keyboards.  Also, I thought the vocals were a bit dry
    and could have used more effects.  A catchy tune, though, sorta thing
    you hum in your head after a while if you're not careful!

    Bob Schuchard -- This song is supposedly a mix bag of rock cliche's
    from 1973.  I guess that sums it up.  The wha-what guitar stuff was
    neat, but a little annoying (not you Bob, the wha-wha pedal!).  I
    liked the harmonized diminished lick on the guitar...great part!
    
    Greg House -- This song reminds me of Husker Du covering the Pretenders!
    (hmmm, where have I heard that before??)  ;')  I liked the major blues
    based riffs in the solo, and the clean tone.  The song kept reminding
    me of this one pretenders song...kinda messed up my head, as I kept
    wanting to hear Chrissy come in to sing!  8^)  No aeolian modes to be
    found here.
    
    
    
That's it folks...Volume 4 as a wrap.  ...onto Vol 5?    

    Got my tape in the mail (thanx Buck!)> and been listening to it all
    weekend.  Lot's of great stuff on here, I'm enjoying it very much.
    
    By far the biggest jaw-dropper for me was Mike Heiser's two tunes.
    Yow!  I'm not necessarily a big metal fan, but these floor me.  Why?
    Let's see -  great vocals, great playing (by everyone), killer hooks
    (I can't get either one out of my brain), tight arrangements.  Overall
    sound is kind of muddy, but it still seems like there's some nice
    production going on underneath.  Did something happen in the final mix?
    Otherwise, both of these cuts are "radio ready" as far as I'm concerned.
    Mike absolutely smokes on the all-too-brief solos; chops *and* taste for
    days and days.  I've listened to these several times trying find an off
    note, a missed tempo, anything to suggest this guy really has a day job;
    I couldn't find it.  Hey Mike, what's in the water out there?  Stunning!
    A pro effort all the way.
    
    /rick

    Thanks!
    
>    I couldn't find it.  Hey Mike, what's in the water out there?  Stunning!
    
    Peyote ;-)

    Out of fairness to all the contributors, I won't comment on every cut,
    since I haven't listened to it enough to really comment.  There are,
    however some highlights:
    
    Mike Heiser's 2 tunes are incredible !  Thank him for me not listening
    to the rest of the tape yet.   8^)   This boy's been holding out on us.
    And Mike, if you think you need to upgrade from the KH rig, I think
    you need to reconsider.  The tone on those 2 songs, especially the
    first one (which I went out and listened to at lunch ...) is *perfect*
    for that song.  All the processing in the world couldn't have done you
    more justice.
    
    I was glad to hear the acoustic entries too.  Good change of pace. 
    I'll burn it in this weekend, and post a complete review.
    
    Good job on the tape mixing too Buck !  Thanks for putting it together.
    
    
    Jerry
    

Mini Review (what I remember)

Preface:

I just don't like all instrumental "guitar" music, so I didn't
give much listening time to the instrumental pieces. 

Justine's Songs:

I like them. Very mellow and well produced. I'm not a big fan
of this style, but I really enjoyed these songs.

John D'Errico

I liked it, but see my comment about "instrumentals".

J.Cheney

I think you've got the Neil Young thing down.. ;^)
How'd you get that "fat" bass tone... ?
I liked the Neil Young cover best. 

Greg House

Picture of you was too long.. IMHO.

I *really* like Out the Door. Reminds me of 
early clash. I wish it was a better recording.
This was my favorite tune on the tape.

Mike Heiser

This dude has been keeping his monster chops under wraps. ;^)

Again, not a style of music I'd typically listen to, but
the songwriting and performances were very good. My only
complaint was that my copy seem to be "shifted left", I.E.
stuff that should have been in the center (vox, bass, etc)
were off to the left. I suspect was probably a result of getting
an "n" generation dub. 

Joe Minville

Good tune. Could've used a better recording. 

Tom Gallo

Helluva songwriter, monster talent.. ;^)

Seriously, I'm not real pleased with the production/recording
of this song. It used to have some high end, but I don't
know where it went...;^(. Just to mention it again, it is
too long..


Overall:

I enjoyed the tape. Like usual, the recording quality is a mixed bag,
not helped by the fact that the tape we end up listening to is a who-knows
-how-many generation dub. Still I think the overall recording quality
was better this time around. We're improving, I guess.. ;^)

Cheers,

-Tom

    The contributions that touched me the most were those by Justine, Buck,
    Tom & Bob, Tom Benson, db�, Housemiester, and Jim Cheney.
    
    Justine has a wonderful voice and acoustic touch.  The lyrics to "This
    Lil Piggy..." had me laughing, especially since I left Mass. for the
    warm Phoenix sun about 12 years ago ;-)  I think a little acoustic
    slide solo would have been cool here.
    
    Buck shows yet another side to his diversity.  Who would have ever
    thought the guy on "Fallen Angel" would do a couple Fleetwood Mac-ish 
    sounding songs?!  As I told you offline, I thought "Bringin me Round"
    had interesting lyrics too.  Your sister has a great voice and may
    explain the Fleetwood Mac analogy.  She reminded me a little of Chris
    McVie.  
    
    Tom & Bob pulled off some very tastefully done work on their
    submissions.
    
    I think I liked Tom Benson's "Fa Hoo" better than his last submissions. 
    I love a musician with a little sense of humor too.
    
    db�'s entries sounded great, quality-wise, and I really liked his "On The 
    Mountain" song.
    
    Jim Cheney reminded me a lot of CSN&Y.  Nice vocals!
    
    I liked Greg's "Picture of You", especially the melody.  I agree it was
    a tad too long though.  "Out the Door" revealed a little of Greg's
    humor and sounded good too.  
    
    Mike
    
    

	Here's my quick 2 cents (by memory since the tape's in the
	car).  My impression is that this tape has alot of songs
	with guitar as opposed to guitar songs and, unlike tomg,
	I'd much prefer alot more guitar music.  That said, however,
	I felt the songs were really good and contained some very
	nice vocals.

	I liked John Derrico's tune and agree with Buck about it being
	Frippish, esp. after dusting off my turntable this weekend with
	3 of a Perfect Pair.  Nice fretless bass too.

	Boom's tunes - not my cup of tea but I wished the guitar was
	clearer.  Liked your squeels and squacks!!

	I liked dbii's tunes alot, esp the first one.  Great singing, nice
	hook, and real tasty playing that goes into that harmony part at
	the end.  2 thumbs up!!

	Jim Cheney - very good quality all around, esp the subtle harmonies.
	
	Tom Benson - really creative once again.  3 thumbs up (huh? :^)
	Definitely up my alley.

	Bucks tunes - I was in a band a few years ago with Terri so it
	was real nice to hear her voice again.  And she can belt right
	up there with Bill's guitar when she wants.  Nice (say hi for me).

	Mike Heiser.  Great job, Mike!!  Massive groove and killer solos!!

	Bob Schuchard's wah tune was fun.  Made me plug mine in and play
	around again.  Neat weird licks !! (which I love)

	Now I'm at a blank.  Sorry about that.  Again, I enjoyed everything
	and there's certainly alot of use out there on those 4 tracks!!!
	Lots of high quality songs.  But again, IMHO only, I'd prefer to
	hear far more guitar on the guitarnotes tape.

	Just want to also say that jamming with Bob Conroy was really fun
	and a definite learning experience.  He has all the technique and
	taste that anyone could want!!  All he needs now is a Peavey
	Odyssey... ;^)
	
	Thanks to Bill for putting it together!!

	Tom D

    
    
        I might update this more later... but for now:
    
    
        I like Justine Sullivan's first tune better than the second,
    although I found both to be very listenable. Nice and crisp recording!
    
        John Derrico's entry was different. It's not like *anything* I'd
    do, but I like hearing different styles. 
    
        Both of Buckley's entries somewhat surprised me. I didn't know 
    what to expect from him (who does?!) It's amazing that no matter what
    amp he uses, it never detracts from quality of the guitar's sound.
    Nice female vocals on both tunes!
    
        I always liked Scandal's "Goodbye to You". I wish Cheryles's
    recording had come out a little better, but I can make out that it
    probably went over well live. I probably would've transitioned the 
    end of the main solo differently. 
    
        Both of dbii's entries were very marketable. The guitar seemed to
    do all the right things at the right times. He comes off as as knowing
    when not to overplay and make the solo fit teh song quite well.
    
        I also thought "Picture of You" (GH) ran a little long. I would've like
    to have heard a guitar solo to break it up a bit. Every GN tape has to
    have a "out the door" or "gerbil in my pocket: to keep it interesting.
    Good to finally hear you on tape Greg (that's what I've been hearing
    since it is my first time as well).
    
        Todd's Sky Pilot grew on me after the first few listens. I didn't
    really give it a chance the first time and fast forwarded - glad I went
    back and listened again.
    
        I enjoyed listening to the songs from Jim (N.Y.) Cheney, Tom Gallo,
    and the two "jam" entries. Those jams sound like something I've done from
    time to time.
    
        I like Bob's "HiWay Song" the more I listened to it. Of course it
    was right after one of my entries, so I heard this one a LOT!
    
        Mike Heiser take the cake (frosting too) on this tape. I like 
    "Only One" a little better, but the axework on both is impressive and
    recorded quite well. Kitty Hawk, huh? Where can I buy one?
    
    
        All in all I like the "song" approach. I prefer to see the guitar 
    used in the context of the song, as opposed to haveing something built
    around just a guitar theme. I like the diversity of this tape! 
    
        ...many more listens to go.
    
    							-B()()M-

First off, i enjoyed putting sounds to the names. This being the first
GuitarNotes tape i've listened to(and submitted0, i'm pleased at the various 
styles and abilities demonstrated.  Next, we all have different tastes so
these are only my opinions, certainly nothing to take too seriously. I've
tried to give every song here a couple of listens at least - and my comments
consist of both 1st and subsequent impressions. (in other words, i've been
aging this review with more seasoning after each listen)


Justine Sullivan - nice songs, a nice voice. I have a strong aversion to
Judy Collins/Joan Baez clones who strum and sing like they are in the
jr. high chorus. You are clearly way above that cut as a singer - keep
pushing so you obtain a very recognizable identity when you sing. I'd
say you're at least half-way there, and i mean this as a compliment. It
would be a shame not to take it further.

John Derrico - Manchester Days - i liked listening to this. still do matter of
fact.

Joe Minville - garage band, early Who (65-66) with that funny accent -
they call this punk no?  Maybe not everyone's cup of tea but its
friendly and familiar to me.

B()()M - i think the vocal is too out front on this first number. The vocal
is not that terrific, but the playing behind it is, and should be heard
more imo.  Same with party song -  i guess a production preference. 
Good Band though, and very good licks when you can hear 'em.

Dave Bottom - i like the guitars up front, great chops, good tune. Vocals
and guitars nicely balanced. I'd like the name of your latest band - my
little brother is up a Benton way, and i should send him out to see you live.
Personally, i prefer Hold On over On the Mountain, but i'm certainly not
complaining about either.

Tom & Bob - i really like both of these cuts.  'Tis the kind of guitar
playing i enjoy listening to. When I was a lil'pup i was a big Duane Eddy
fan and country guitars in general, and these cuts are a treat. If the
country label offends, i'm willing to call it guitar music, and either
way its good.

Bill Buckley - is this your sister singing? Great vocals, and appropriate
restraint on the guitars.  We all know you can shred - i like very much
the restraint, taste and fine execution on these cuts, although i wish
the high end was compressed (maybe? or too much verb?) on the end of Leavin - 
something in the tone seems a tad - i dunno.

Cheryl West -  The recording is not so hot, but i very much like your vocals.

Jim Cheney - i like these songs, i like Neil Young, but the vocal phrasing
is much too smooth(you have be creaky with less polish) - kind of like the 
glee club sings Neil :-). Other than that, great harmonies and you have a 
well trained voice. But it's not Neil's well trained singing that makes his 
presentation effective, it's his shaky delivery skillfully applied to convey 
emotion - i think you need more "edge" (or less skill?)in your delivery. I
think i just said you have a great voice!  Your playing and production are
very good.

Fishin' Time is tight, well played, well sung, and well produced, but 
let's hear something with your music, ok? I bet it's good.

Mike Heiser - i really am not a metal fan and even less a fan of evangelism
but these two songs i'd rate as perhaps the best production on the tape!  
Great playing and singing which easily silence my internal objections. A lot
of high-end missing (as with many on the tape) but, Great Job!

Greg House - "Picture of You" is a great example of how a simple song,
executed simply, can nonetheless be delivered very effectively, if only
it wasn't so damn long. An effective vocal also!  I don't care much for
Out the Door at this time. oops, its a few days later and i like it better.

Tom Gallo - Do i hear the Greatful Dead? I think so! There's this melodramatic
line about the wife being dead etc that immediately conjured up Bobby Goldsboro. 
and Honey.  However, on closer inspection the rest of the tale is not so bad
although i suspect the notion of being "free in the back of a truck with 
paper and pen" would quickly succumb to the "grass is always greener" syndrome.
In my earlier wandering experiences (i got 50k miles on this thumb son!) some
20+ years ago, every "free" spirit I ever met always had someone elses grail
in their hearts(grass is always greener in the other fellas yard).  

However, that said, it's just a song, and a pretty damn good one at that! Well
played, well sung.  I'm certainly glad I came back for closer listens.


Todd Bennet - Sky Pilot. I like this the more i hear it. Good playing, and
good vocals, good song, good production.  Wish I'd done a better job
following it.


Tom Benson - Mr. Polka Devine comes thru again - how i come i knew it was
you before looking at the label?  You play very, very well and i await
the next humerous surprise.


Ok, i hope i left no one out, and certainly hope no one is offended.  It's
real neat hearing such a wide range of styles. I'm impressed at the skill
levels of everyone, and realize that if i submit again, i have to do a much
better job to keep up.

It has been kind of quiet in here. I was waiting to enter this because I 
wanted to have a chance to listen to it a bunch of times.
    
Overall, I was very impressed with the music on here. There's a lot of
good musicians out there. (Our stuff sounded a bit lame next to
some of the professional quality recordings here)

For a guitarnotes tape though, there wasn't a lot of guitar playing
on it. It almost seems as if this tape would be more appropriate
for the Music_making conference.


Water is wide - Nice vocals, nice harmony, beautiful vocal tone.
Little Piggy -  I think the blues tune needs something more in the guitar 
part, some fingerpicked riffs, something other than the straight strumming.

Manchester Days - I really like this the more I listen to it. Love the
fretless bass part, and the repeating guitar figures in the background. 
Nice blending of guitar parts.
Nice piece of music, nicely done.

What am I to do - Drummer is irritating. Song was pretty good, but would have
liked to hear more guitar in it.

Best of what I got/Rock n Roll party... - Liked the intro to the first song.
Guitar was a bit too far back in the mix. Didn't like the vocals in the first
song. Lead guitar on the second song sounded sharp to me. Vocals better here,
but the intonation was a bit off on the choruses.

Bringing me round/leavin - Great vocals on both tunes. Good songs. Drums were
kind of lame on the first song. Really nice ending on "Bringing me Round".
Guitar was a bit overpowering on the second song. Left a hole after the solo
when the guitar stopped and the steel guitar came in. Don't know why you
used distortion on the lead guitar on these. Especially on "Leavin", I didn't
think the guitar sound fit the song.

Hold on/On the Mountain - Great vocals, nice arrangements, great guitar sounds,
great chorus on the first song, great band. Good stuff! I think "Hold on" was
my favorite song on the tape. Like the volume swells in "On the mtn".

Goodbye to you - Sounded good for live sound. I liked the vocals but she
was going painfully flat on the choruses. Guitar solo sounded good, would
have liked to hear a longer one.

Country Girl/Fishin - Nice arrangements, great harmonies, nicely done.

Mandolin tune - Liked some of the harmonies, but thought it needed a stronger
melody out front. Sounded like a backing track to something.

Hiway song - I like this one a lot too. Nice phrasing on the guitar solos. 
I like the percussive effect on the solos too; nice touch.

Cliches in wa-wa - Watch out for just rocking the pedal on the beat. Try to
vary it a bit more, like getting the down pedal of the wa on the off beat,
or moving the pedal up or down slowly. The last "Guitar Player" had a good 
article on the wa-wa. Like the diminished lines in the solos.

Fa-Hoo - Good harmonies. Goofy. It would be great to get something like this
for a Christmas card. I have to get a copy of vol. 3. I never heard that one.

Greater is He/Only One - Didn't like the doctrinaire message, but wow, this
stuff is very professionally done. Pretty impressive. I can see why other 
people were raving about these tunes. I like the guitar chord voicings on 
"Only One". I really like the energy in both songs.
(Mike, I got the impression from reading notes that you were a
beginner. That's obviously not the case - great job)

Long Gone - This one kind of grew on me. I like it more the more I listen
to it. Nice arrangement, well done. Was that "Life begins at 70"?. Time to 
take the retirement package Tom. ;)

Picture of You - I like this song better after listening a few times, but
as others have said it's just too long. There's a few places where you pause
or stop and it sounds like the end, but it just keeps going on. 

Out the Door - I like this tune too. Very simple but catchy. Vocals were a 
bit weak. The guitar solos need a bit more energy. This is emphasized in the 
second one especially because it's prefaced by that GO!

Sky Pilot - Catchy chorus. Nice background guitar part towards the end. Would
have liked to hear more guitar in this.
    
    
    Good job everybody. I enjoyed this one a lot.
    Bob
    
    

Picture this: 

    Tumble weeds blowing through this note, old topics never to
be prospected, only to be visited by archeaologists and aboriginal
rodents who migrate for no good reason.

  I guess I'll just respond to myself then...


Hi.

Hi.

I still need to get a copy of the tape... 

Bye.